What the Trail Reveals When You Stop Looking at the View
Some of the most important things hiking has taught me have had nothing to do with distance, elevation or gear.
They have come from the harder moments. The summit that took an hour when it should have taken twenty minutes. The pass where I wanted to quit. The spur where I turned to Julie and said I couldn’t go on. The flight home where a magazine article changed everything.
These essays are where I write about that version of hiking. Not the highlight reel, but the interior experience, what happens when the trail becomes a mirror, when the body refuses to cooperate, when the mountains ask something of you that fitness alone can’t answer.
If you have ever stood on a trail and felt something shift, not in your legs but somewhere deeper, these pieces are for you.
The Agreement Between Me and My Body
Read more →A personal account of hiking Tasmania’s Overland Track with undiagnosed Graves’ Disease, and what happened when the condition returned a decade later, weeks before a major alpine trek.
The Version of Hiking We Rarely Show
Read more →Hiking isn’t just summits and smiles. Discover the reality we often hide: the mental battles, the burnout, and the resilience found when you want to quit.
How the Andes Humbled Me: A Trek That Got in My Head
Read more →Struggled on a trek you thought you were ready for? I did. Here’s some tips on how to rebuild motivation, train smarter, and prepare mentally for your next big hike.
The Allure of Long-Distance Trails: Finding Solace in the Wild
Read more →Why trade comfort for blisters and sweat? A personal reflection on what long-distance hiking does to a person, and why discomfort is often the point.
